Gratitude

This is a note of appreciation to the wonderfully nice lady who found my billfold in the parking lot of the Village Inn Restaurant in Mission on March 17. She took it to Mr. McDaniel, the owner there. Mr. McDaniel called me, and I was able to pick it up that day.

Premium content for only $0.99

Let’s limit

It’s time to establish term limits for Supreme Court justices, perhaps not to exceed 10 years. No job should carry the designation of lifetime appointment.

Article III of the Constitution says only that federal judges “shall hold their offices during good behaviour.” Congress has abdicated the responsibility assigned to it by that article and allowed unelected appointees to fill the void.

They now have as much power as the supreme leaders of Iran. They are appointed based on their predetermined votes rather any ability to reason without prejudice.

Five conservative judges or five liberal judges can dictate the future of the country, as long as they have the ability to cast a vote. There is no way to get rid of them without term limits.

Kenneth Lee

Raytown

So tired

Is everyone as weary as I am of Presidents Trump and Pew-tin (oops) Putin?

I would guess so.

Betty Foster

Prairie Village

Loud lawncare

I recently read the story “The Noisy Price of a Pretty Lawn” in The New York Times. We have been noticing the rising decibel level in our normally quiet neighborhood, and one of the offenders is, in fact, leaf blowers.

Although I say rakes are cheaper, I understand the business benefit of “less time equals more jobs.” Surely — and I know this to be true — there are quieter models available.

There is nothing more disruptive, with the possible exception of tour helicopters and screaming motorcycles, than loud leaf blowers. Especially on the weekend.

The Times article mentioned among many other things restricted-use hours and their enforcement. A good idea.

Stephanie A. Henry

Kansas City

Vital assistance

I am a lawyer who primarily practices Social Security disability law. I greatly appreciate “Fighting for her life” by Eric Adler on March 19 (1A).

It can be very difficult for those outside the problem to grasp the scope and complexity of wait times and eligibility standards for disability benefits.

Unfortunately, the claim of the person you profiled is being heard at the Springfield hearing office and it approves only about 27 percent of cases — a much worse chance than a coin flip.

Recent attention focused on outlier judges approving “too many” claims, but there is another disturbing trend: judges approving too few. In the Springfield office, approval rates range from a high of 41 percent to a shockingly low 14 percent.

Publicly available statistics show that in the last five or so years approval rates nationwide went down while processing times and backlogs went up, without substantive change in the law.

The Social Security Administration needs adequate funding to dispassionately decide claims and the independence to do so without fear of how the political winds blow. It currently lacks both.

Robert Alton Clarke

Blue Springs

A sad vision

I sometimes feel I am living in a total nightmare since Donald Trump was elected president. The proposed health care bill is a total sham. If you are poor, just give up.

I am not sure whether we are trying to do away with the poor, but who would do the menial jobs as Trump plans to build this really big wall to keep out immigrants? I imagine his name and picture will be displayed at every mile.

If you are poor, forget about gaining any knowledge, as the man wants to cut money for education, public radio and public television, which I am sure he has never watched.

I can just visualize people selling matches and apples on the streets.

Marlene R. Shulkin

Prairie Village

Appalling words

I understand that Garrison Keillor wanted to shock and awe the public with his blast of Trumpcare (March 18, 13A, “Buckle up, and don’t get sick”). But how utterly crass were the manner and wording he used.

As a person with a family member who was sad enough to use one of the methods of suicide he described, I was appalled. He didn’t stop there, but continued with his ramblings about executions and the Donner party.

Does this kind of spewing of discord and hate help anyone? How will this kind of talk put us anywhere but backward?